Patient transport funding questions remain unanswered ahead of state budget

Ahead of this month’s Victorian State Budget, The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has called on the State Government to ensure the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Community Transport program receives the funding it needs to stay in operation.

Despite its proven success and undeniable need, the RFDS transport program is set to run out of funding in June this year, leaving thousands of regional Victorians without a vital means of accessing medical care.

In February, Ms Cleeland put forward questions to the Health Minister, asking if the government would commit to funding the program. As of yet, there has been no response.

“This funding should be a non-negotiable,” Ms Cleeland said.

“For many vulnerable and isolated people without access to public transport, this service is the difference between receiving critical medical care or missing out entirely.

“In my electorate alone, nearly 20,000 transport trips have been completed in Heathcote and across the North East – demonstrating the enormous demand for this service.

“Without this program, many patients would be left with no practical or affordable way to reach medical specialists, and the consequences could be devastating.

“To say this service improves health outcomes is an understatement – it literally saves lives.”

The need for effective patient transport options arise as ambulance performance around the state continues to decline – with the government failing to reach its targets.

• Only 65.6 per cent of statewide Code 1 responses are arriving within 15 minutes, well below the target of 85 per cent.
• In Benalla, just 59.7 per cent are arriving within this time period, in Mitchell it is 52.3 per cent, while Strathbogie is just 37.9 per cent.
• Code 1 response times have worsened since last quarter in 23 of 79 local government areas.
• Code 2 response times have worsened since last quarter in 21 of 79 local government areas.
• Only 68.6 per cent of ambulance patients were transferred to emergency departments within the 40-minute target – below the 72 per cent benchmark and worse than a year ago.
• More than 36,000 patients waited over 40 minutes to be transferred from ambulance to emergency care in the last quarter.

A proposal from the RFDS has also been submitted to the government seeking a four-year funding commitment to ensure the program’s continuation.

With 159 volunteers, 12 staff, more than 1500 active clients, and an incredible 22,000 trips provided each year, the program has been a lifeline for patients across 12 local government areas (LGAs), ensuring those in remote and rural communities can reach essential medical appointments.

The RFDS has also proposed a statewide expansion plan that would extend its reach to over 7500 clients across 48 LGAs, ensuring even more Victorians have access to life-changing and lifesaving transport.